Khalil Mack Odds: Are the Raiders Dealing their Defensive Beast?

Khalil Mack has been one of the premier defensive players in football since entering the league in 2014. Photo by Jeffrey Beall (Flickr) [CC License]

Is Khalil Mack’s future with the Raiders really in doubt?

The Raiders’ sack artist ranks among the NFL’s best

The Bills and Packers are both rumored to be in the mix if Mack gets moved

The training camp holdout is quickly becoming the only way NFL players can show their discontent with their financial situation without losing much, if any, money.

That’s where a pair of class of ’14 defensive monsters are right now, as the Raiders’ Khalil Mack and the Rams’ Aaron Donald sit out.

It seems far-fetched that the latter’s tenure in Los Angeles is in jeopardy, as Donald is the reigning defensive player of the year. But it has recently sounded conceivable that Mack – Oakland’s defensive gem and a two-time All-Pro – could be on the move.

Early reports out of Raiders camp weren’t what you would call promising between the star player and new head coach Jon Gruden, whose salary has given him his own star power.

Money talks. Mack is due $13.8M in 2018, but holds an $18.2M base valuation. Gruden’s $100M contract likely doesn’t help this either… https://t.co/mzUTpuBQBv

Will Khalil Mack Get Traded By End of 2018-19? (Odds Courtesy
MyBookie)

Yes

No

+300

-500

Mack happens to be in an era that has offered some of the most insane defensive players ever. While the consensus remains that Donald and JJ Watt are the cream of the crop, you can also make a case for Mack, and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong.

How Mack Stacks Up: Stats from 2014-Present

Player

Sacks

Tackles

Tackles for Loss

Forced Fumbles

Fumble Recoveries

Aaron Donald

39.0

148

69

9

2

Justin Houston

43.0

150

49

6

2

Chandler Jones

46.5

157

55

12

3

Khalil Mack

40.5

231

70

9

4

Von Miller

48.5

191

59

10

5

JJ Watt

39.5

128

58

7

7

Since entering the league in 2014, he is on the level with the giants of the game on defense, leading that ridiculous group in total tackles and tackles for loss. More than anything else, the guy gets after the quarterback better than anyone in the NFL.

Who pressures quarterbacks more than #Raiders edge defender Khalil Mack?

The big issue here is money. Entering his fifth year, he is due to make $13.8 million. While a nice chunk of change, we all know that careers in the NFL are fleeting, and locking it down long term is what you need to do.

Do the Raiders want to invest that? While I believe they would love to have him, I don’t know if they want to commit to anything in that stratosphere. While sack artists are unique and a major value to a team, they can be had.

Chandler Jones was dealt by the Patriots before his chance at re-upping. Calais Campbell wasn’t re-signed by Arizona before a career year in Jacksonville.

I’m guessing teams are kicking tires and offering the usual bounty for a player under contract that wants to re-up: something in the third to fourth round range. But, if a team does want to move that to a first round pick and say, a fifth? Things could get interesting.

If you were betting today, I’d say take no and the -500. But the two sides are reaching the point of no return and fast – and +300 looks awfully tempting if nothing is done come the middle of next week.

Born and bred in the West, Eric is a print and broadcast journalism graduate now based on the East Coast. He has been specializing in NBA and NFL odds and news with SportsBettingDime since 2017, and spends the majority of his free time convincing his wife to spend Sundays with him on the couch.

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